George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 
COLONEL  FLOWERS 


ON  THE 


Iff  if  fctsgsif|  iif  ijtiiif  mafiii 


BY 


Rector  of  St.  Luke  s  Church,  Salisbury 


Published  at  the  request  of  tlie  Vestry  of  St.  Barnabas' 
Church,  Greensboro,  N.  C. 


1876. 

Patriot  print  Grecnsboto,  N.  C, 


t 


ON  THE 


Rector  of  SL  Ltike' s  Church,  Salisbury, 


PublisJied  at  the  request  of  the  Vestry  of  St.  Barnabas' 
Churchy  GreensborOy  N.  C. 


Preface, 

The  following  discourse  is  the  substance  of  a  sermon  which  I 
have  preached  several  times  at  various  places.  It  contains  no 
reference  to  the  testimony  of  the  Universal  Church  on  this  sub- 
ject, because  I  wished  the  argument  to  rest  only  on  Scripture 
and  reason.  Although  almost  all  the  matter  of  this  sermon  has 
been  drawn  from  the  remarks  of  various  authors,  yet  I  have  not 
quoted  any  of  them,  lest  by  quotations  I  should  distract  the 
mind  of  my  hearers  from  the  subject  before  them.  It  is  now 
pubHshed  at  the  solicitation  of  the  Clergy  who  assisted  me  in 
the  Eight  Day's  Mission  at  Greensboro,  and  at  the  request  of  the 
Vestry  of  St.  Barnabas'  Church,  where  it  was  preached  on  the 
last  day  of  the  mission. 

F.  J.  MURDOCH. 

Salisbury,  August  15,  1876. 


m  FLOWERS  C0L!.ECTK3r^ 


THE 


Acts,  Chap.  XIX— 2d. 
Have  ye  received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed? 

When  St.  Paul  came  to  Ephesus  he  found  there  cer- 
tain persons  whom  he  supposed  to  be  Christians,  and 
the  first  question  he  asked  them  was,  Have  ye  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed  ?"  He  asked 
this  Jirst  because  it  is  the  most  important  question  that 
can  be  put  to  those  who  have  beheved  on  the  name  of 
Christ.  For  what  advantage  have  Christians  over  the 
fathers  who  lived  before  the  coming  of  our  Lord  ? 
They  had  the  Law  of  the  Lord  which  is  perfect  con- 
verting the  soul.  They  had  part  in  the  attonement, 
just  as  we  have.  But  they  had  not  the  gift  of  God, 
which  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  gift  was  something 
reserved  for  our  days.  Isaiah  speaking  of  the  blessings 
of  Christ's  kingdom,  points  out  this  as  the  chief,  that 
the  Spirit  shall  be  poured  on  us  from  on  high. — (Is.  32, 
15).  Another  prophet,  speaking  of  the  latter  days, 
counts  this  the  chief  characteristic  of  them.  I  will 
put  My  spirit  within  you." — (Ez.  36,  27.)  Another 
prophet  tells  how  this  best  gift  should  be  given  to  the 
Gentiles  as  well  as  to  the  Jews.  "  It  shall  come  to 
pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  My 
Spirit  on  all  flesh." — (Acts  2,  17).    Then  have  ye  re- 


4 


ceived  the  Holy  Ghost?  If  not,  remember  that  though 
you  Hve  in  the  days  of  the  Gospel  Dispensation  you  are 
without  its  greatest  blessing.  Our  Lord  Jesus  invites 
us  to  come  to  Him  and  drink  Living  Water.  But  if 
you  have  not  received  the  Holy  Ghost  you  have  not 
that  Water  of  Life  ;  "  for  this  He  spake  of  the  Spirit 
which  they  that  believed  on  Him  should  receive." — 
(John.  7,  39).  So  important  is  it  for  us  to  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost  that  our  Lord  said,  **  It  is  expedient  for 
you  that  I  go  away,  for  if  I  go  not  away  the  comforter 
will  not  come  to  you."  Nay,  St.  Paul  says  flatly, 
"  Now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ  he  is 
none  of  His." — (Rom.  8,  9).  Then  have  ye  received 
the  Holy  Ghost?  Be  assured  that  if  St.  Paul  could 
come  among  us  to-day,  having  heard  that  we  profess 
to  be  Christians,  this  is  the  first  question  he  would  ask 
us,  because  it  is  the  most  important  one  he  could  ask. 

What  answer  then  can  we  make  ?  It  is  a  matter  in 
which  no  uncertainty  can  be  tolerated.  Some  few  of 
you,  perhaps,  could  answer  decidedly  yes  "  or  "  no," 
but  most  would  have  to  admit  that  they  knew 
not  even  so  much  as  how  this  gift  of  God  may  be  ob- 
tained. There  are  indeed  some  who  tJiink  that  they 
have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  because  they  have 
prayed  for  Him,  and  the  Scriptures  says,  "  If  ye  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  child- 
ren, how  much  more  shall  your  Heavenly  Father  give 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him. — (Luke  11,  13). 
But  the  mere  fact  that  we  have  prayed  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  no  sufficient  reason  to  think  that  we  have  re- 
ceived the  gift  of  God.    For  if  God  has  ordained  any 


5 


means  whereby  men  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  then 
we  must  botJi  pray  and  use  the  appointed  means  be- 
fore we  have  any  right*  to  think  that  we  have  obtained 
the  promised  blessing.  Let  me  illustrate  this  by  an 
analagous  case.  We  are  told  by  our  Lord  "Whatso- 
ever ye  shall  ask  in  My  name  that  w^ill  I  do  that  the 
Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  son.  If  ye  shall  ask 
anything  in  My  name  I  will  do  it." — (John  14,  13-14). 
Now  we  do  ask  God  for  our  daily  bread,  but  will 
prayer  obtain  it  unless  we  use  the  appointed  means 
to  get  it  ?  If  all  the  farmers  in  our  State  had  spent 
the  past  year  in  prayer  but  had  not  sowed  the  grain 
and  cultivated  the  crops,  would  they  not  now  be  in  a 
starving  condition  ?  No  one  doubts  that  God  can 
give  food  to  those  who  only  pray  and  do  not  use  the 
means  of  getting  it ;  but  we  see  that  He  does  not  feed 
those  who  can  nse  the  meaiis  and  do  not.  Thus  then 
it  is  with  regard  to  obtaining  God's  best  gift 

If  God  has  appointed  any  means  whereby  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  to  be  given  to  men,  then  we  must  both  pray 
and  use  the  appointed  means,  and  then,  when  we  have 
performed  all  the  conditions,  we  can  be  stire  that  we 
have  received  the  Holy  Ghost. 

But  would  God  appoint  any  means  whereby  the 
Holy  Spirit  may  be  given  and  received  ?  It  is  to  be 
expected  that  He  would.  For  we  notice  throughout 
Holy  Scripture  that  God  always  at  first  gives  his  gifts 
directly  and  immediately,  and  afterwards  he  gives 
them  mediately.  For  example,  at  first  God  himself 
gave  light  to  the  earth,  but  on  the  fourth  day  He 
began  to  give  us  light  by  mea^is  of  the  sun,  moon  and 


6 


stars  (Gen.  i),  and  since  then  the  natural  h'ght  of  the 
world  is  received  from  God  only  by  these  appointed 
means.  Again,  God  Himself  at  first  spoke  directly  to 
the  Isrealites,  for  at  the  head  of  the  ten  command- 
ments it  is  said,  "  God  spake  all  these  things  and 
said." — (Ex.  i,  i).  These  commandments  God  spake 
to  them  face  to  face,  with  a  great  voice  and  He  added 
no  more. — (Deut.  5).  Afterwards  God  spoke  to  them 
only  by  means  of  the  Prophets.  Christ  the  Son  of 
God  at  first  Himself  preached  to  men,  but  after  He 
**  began  both  to  do  and  to  teach,"  He  ascended  into 
Heaven  and  committed  the  work  unto  men,  and  now 
He  preaches  the  Gospel  only  by  means  of  men.  So  it 
is  to  be  expected  that  in  the  first  instance  God  would 
give  His  Holy  Spirit  directly  to  men  and  that  after- 
wards the  Spirit  would  be  given  only  by  some  ap- 
pointed means.  And,  just  as  we  might  have  expected, 
so  we  find  God  has  done.  At  first  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost the  Holy  Spirit  came  down  upon  the  Church  di- 
rectly from  God  without  the  intervention  of  any  means 
as  we  see  in  the  second  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  But  how  is  it  in  the  next  recorded  instance 
where  the  Spirit  is  given  to  men  ?  Just  as  we  might 
have  expected,  it  is  by  a  certain  appointed  means,  that 
is,  by  the  laying  on  of  the  Apostles'  hands.  The 
record  is  in  the  8th  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
There  we  are  told  that  Philip  went  down  to  the  city 
of  Samaria  and  preached  Christ  unto  them,  and  that 
by  him  great  miracles  were  wrought,  devils  were  cast 
out,  and  many  that  were  taken  with  palsies  and  that 
were  lame  were  healed.    We  are  told  that  many  that 


7 


saw  and  heard,  believed  and  were  baptized,  both  men 
and  women.  "  Now,  when  the  Apostles,  which  were 
at  Jerusalem  had  heard  that  Samaria  had  received  the 
word  of  God,  they  sent  unto  them  Peter  and  John, 
who,  when  they  were  come  down,  prayed  for  them 
that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  (for  as  yet 
He  was  fallen  upon  none  of  them,  only  they  were 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus).  Then  laid 
they  their  hands  on  them  and  they  received  the  Holy 
Ghost." — (Acts  8,  14-17).  Here  we  are  to  notice 
that  though  the  Samaritans  believed  on  the  Lord, 
and  though  it  was  promised  that  those  who  should 
believe  on  Him  should  receive  the  Spirit  (John  7,  39), 
yet  they  received  Him  not  tcntil  the  appointed  meo.ns 
had  been  used.  Again  though  they  were  baptized, 
and  in  that  baptism  the  Holy  Spirit  beyond  doubt 
wrought  upon  them  for  "  By  one  Spirit  we  are  all 
baptized  into  one  body," — (I  Cor.  12,  13), — yet  they 
received  not  then  the  Spirit  (for  as  yet  He  was  fal- 
len upon  none  of  them,  only  they  were  baptized  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus).  Notice  that  the  Apostles 
prayed  for  them  that  they  might  receive  the  Spirit 
and  doubtless  these  Samaritans  prayed  for  themselves 
— but  as  yet  He  fell  upon  none  of  them — not  even  one. 
''Then  laid  they  their  hands  on  thqm  and  they  received 
the  Holy  Ghost"  The  Holy  Ghost  was  given  to 
them  by  ce^'tain  means,  and  that  means  was  the  laying 
on  of  the  Apostles'  hands — for  in  the  same  narrative 
it  is  recorded  ''that  through  the  laying  on  of  the 
Apostles'  hands  the  Holy  Ghost  was  given."  Then 
just  as  we  might  have  expected  in  the  first  instance 


8 


God  gave  the  Holy  Spirit  directly  and  without  the 
intervention  of  any  means,  but  the  next  time  only 
after  certain  appointed  means  had  been  used.  But 
why  do  we  say  that  the  laying  on  of  hands  had  been 
appointed  as  a  means  ?  Because  what  was  done  by 
the  Apostles  in  this  matter,  and  what  the  Holy  Ghost 
records  in  Holy  Scripture  as  done  by  them,  and  what 
God  sanctioned  by  visible  marks  of  His  own  favor 
and  approval  wa^  not  done  of  their  own  mind  but  by 
the  will  of  God.  The  Scriptures  told  them  too  that 
the  gifts  of  the  Spirit  had  once  before  been  imparted 
by  this  very  means  of  the  laying  on  of  hands,  for  it  is 
written,  ''And  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  was  full  of  the 
Spirit  of  wisdom,  for  Moses  had  laid  his  hands  on  him." 
— (Deut.  34,  9). 

In  the  next  instance  too,  the  Holy  Ghost  was  given 
by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  Saul  was  converted  by  a 
vision  from  heaven,  but  just  as  neither  his  faith  nor  his 
penitence,  nor  both,  could  take  away  his  sins  until  he 
washed  them  away  by  the  appointed  means  of  baptism 
— (Acts  22,  1 6) — even  so  he  could  not  obtain  the  gift 
of  the  Spirit,  except  by  the  appointed  means  of  the 
laying  on  of  hands,  for  it  is  written,  "And  Annanias* 

*  The  New  Testament  never  records  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given  by 
the  laying  on  of  hands  of  any  others  except  Apostles.  And  in  the  8th  chap- 
ter of  the  Acts  it  is  expressly  said  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  Afostles  hands,  to  show  that  none  but  Apostles  could  im- 
part that  gitt.  But  Annanias,  who  was  sent  by  the  Lord  Jesus  to  impart 
the  gift  of  the  Spirit  to  Saul,  and  who  worked  a  miracle  in  proof  of  his 
mission,  was  vested  by  the  Lord  Himself,  either  with  temporary  or  per- 
manent Apostolical  authority.  There  is  no  reason  to  think  then  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  ever  imparted  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  of  one  who  was 
not  an  Apostle.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  no  one  need  expect  the  gift  of 
the  Spirit  except  by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  Apostles.  And  those 
who  are  Bishops,  having  the  Apostolical  succession,  are  not  bishops  in  the 
Scriptural  sense  of  the  word,  but  are  Apostles.  There  are  some  who  think 
that  the  order  of  Apostles  has  ceased.  But  Eph.  4.  11-13  teaches  us  that 
the  order  of  Apostles  is  to  be  continued  until  we  all  come  unto  the  measure 
of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of  Christ. 


9 


went  his  way,  and  entering  into  the  house  put  his 
hands  on  him  and  said,  Brother  Saul  the  Lord,  even 
Jesus,  that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  as  thou 
earnest,  hath  sent  me,  that  thou  mightest  receive  thy 
sight,  and  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghosts — (Acts  9, 
■7). 

These  all  are  instances  where  Jews  received  the 
Holy  Spirit.  In  the  first  case  directly  from  God,  in 
the  others  by  the  use  of  the  appointed  means.  Now 
since  the  Gentiles  were  to  be  received  into  the  church 
as  well  as  the  Jews,  and  since  it  was  God's  will  that 
there  should  be  no  difference  between  them,  it  was  to 
be  expected  that  in  the  first  instance  the  Holy  Spirit 
would  fall  directly  from  God  upon  the  Gentiles,  but 
afterwards  that  He  would  be  given  by  the  appointed 
means — i.  e.,  the  laying  on  of  hands.  And  so  it  was. 
The  first  instance  we  have  of  the  Gentiles  receiving 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  that  of  Cornelius  and  his  household. 
St.  Peter  having  come  to  them  preached  the  Gospel 
to  them,  "And  while  Peter  yet  spake  these  words  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the  word." 
But  after  this  first  instance  the  Holy  Spirit  is  ever  giv- 
en by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  At  Ephesus,  as  we  read 
in  the  19th  chapter  of  the  Acts,  it  was  when  St.  Paul 
laid  his  hands  on  the  Gentiles  that  they  received  the 
Holy  Ghost.  But  again  notice  that  St.  Peter  makes  his 
defence  before  them  of  the  circumcision  for  eating 
with  uncircumcised  men, — Cornelius  and  his 
family — he  says,  "  The  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  as  on 
us  at  the  beginning." — (Acts  11,  15),  This  means 
of  course  that  the  Gentles  received  the  Holy  Ghost 


10 


juat  as  the  Jews  did  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  directly 
from  God.  But  why  does  St.  Peter  not  say  He  fell 
on  them  as  He  does  always  fall  on  us  ?  Why  does 
he  say  as  on  us  at  the  beginning  ?  Because  after  the 
day  of  Pentecost  He  fell  on  the  Jews  in  another  way, 
that  is,  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  and  never  more  as 
in  the  beginning.  But  again  we  have  an  epistle  writ- 
ten to  the  whole  Hebrew  Church,  and  in  it  they  are 
told  to  go  on  to  perfection,  "  not  laying  again  the 
foundation  of  repentance  from  dead  works  and  of  faith 
towards  God,  of  the  doctrine  of  baptism,  and  of  the 
laying  on  of  ha7ids,  of  the  resurection  of  the  dead  and 
eternal  judgment."  Now  when  you  tell  me  not  to  do 
a  certain  thing  again,  you  imply  that  I  have  done  it 
once  already.  So  when  the  Apostle  tells  the  Hebrew 
Church  not  to  lay  again  the  foundation  of  the  laying 
on  of  hands  it  implies  that  they  had  all  laid  that  foun- 
dation already.  Therefore  the  ivhole  Hebrezv  Church 
had  received  the  laying  on  of  hands.  Confirmation,  as 
we  call  it,  doubtless  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  for  He  now  no  longer  falls  on  them  as  at  the 
beginning. 

To  sum  up  then  this  part  of  my  sermon  ;  Unless  we 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost  we  are  without  the  greatest 
blessing  offered  us  by  Christ,  and  are  none  of  His. 
The  Holy  Ghost  is  to  be  received  by  prayer  and  the 
use  of  the  appointed  means.  The  appointed  means  is 
the  laying  on  of  the  Apostle's  hands.  It  was  to  be 
expected  that  in  the  first  instance  the  Church  would 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost  directly  from  God.  So  did 
both  the  Jewish  and  Gentile  first  fruits.    It  was  to  be 


1 1 

expected  that  all  afterwards  would  receive  the  Spirit 
by  certam  means.  So  they  did  by  the  laying  on  of 
Jiands.  The  Samaritans  did  (Acts  8)  ;  Saul  did. 
(Acts  9) ;  the  converted  Jews  generally  did  (Acts 
1 1,  now  no  longer  directly  as  at  the  beginning)  ;  they 
at  Ephesus  did  (Acts  19);  the  whole  Hebrew 
Church  did  (Heb.  6);  And  there  is  no  other  means 
revealed  in  Scripture  whereby  we  may  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost,  who  is  now  given  no  longer,  as  in  the 
beginng,  directly  from  God.  Confirmation  then,  that 
is,  the  laying  on  of  hands,  is  to  be  received  by  all. 
For  we  put  our  souls  in  peril  if  we  neglect  it,  seeing 
that  it  is  the  only  appointed  means  whereby  the  ful- 
ness of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  given. 

But  there  are  other  reasons  whereby  we  may  see 
the  great  importance  of  this  ordinance.  In  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Hebrews  the  Apostle  says,  "  Leaving  there- 
fore the  principle^of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go 
on  unto  perfection  ;  not  laying  again  the  foundation  of 
repentance  from  dead  works,  and  of  faith  towards  God, 
of  the  doctrine  of  baptisms,  and  of  the  laying  on  of 
hands,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  of  eternal 
judgment."  Now  these  six  things,  repentance,  faith, 
baptism,  the  laying  on  of  hands,  the  resurrection,  and 
eternal  judgment,  are  called  ;  i.  The  first  principles  of 
the  oracles  of  God — (Heb.  5,  12);  2.  The  principles 
of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and,  3.  Foundations.  Now 
an  oracle  of  God  is  that  which  proceeds  out  of  God's 
mouth,  and,  therefore,  these  six  are  just  as  much  or- 
acles of  God — revelations  of  His  will — as  the  ten 
Commandments.    Confirmation,  then,  is  not  a  Jutnian 


12 

invention,  but  a  divine  institutioji.  But,  as  no  man 
can  understand  any  science  until  he  has  mastered  the 
first  principles,  so  no  man  can  understand  the  oracles 
of  God  until  he  has  mastered  their  first  principles. 
But  lest  any  man  should  say  that  these  are  the  first 
principles  of  the  old  oracles  of  God,  and  are  super- 
fluous nozv,  we  are  told  secondly,  that  they  are  the 
priyiciples  of  the  doctri^ie  of  Christ.  Now,  the  princi- 
ples must  last  as  long  as  the  system  which  depends  on 
them  lasts.  If  you  could  overthrow  the  principles  on 
which  Geometry  rests  that  science  would  be  gone. 
Change  one  of  the  principles  of  our  law,  as,  for  example, 
abolish  trial  by  jury,  and  the  whole  system  of  law  is 
changed.  Change  07te  of  the  principles  of  our  gov- 
ernment and  give  us  an  Emperor  instead  of  a  President 
and  our  whole  system  of  government  is  changed.  So 
if  you  abolish  one  of  the  prijiciples  of  the  doctrine  of 
Christ — that  is,  of  the  Christian  religion — you  change 
the  religion  itself  So  long,  then,  as  the  religion  of 
Christ  lasts  men  must  hold  to  these  principles ;  they 
must  believe,  must  repent,  must  be  baptized,  must  be 
confirmed,  must  believe  in  the  resurection  of  Christ 
and  in  eternal  judgment.  But  again,  thirdly,  they 
are  called  foundations,  and  they  are  the  foundations 
on  which  personal  religion  rests.  But  a  man  may  say, 
May  I  not  lay  five  of  these  foundations  and  leave  out 
the  other  ?  Suppose  a  man  lays  the  other  five  and 
leaves  out  the  one  foundation  of  repentance,  then  he 
perishes,  for  it  is  said,  "  Except  ye  repent  ye  must  all 
likewise  perish." — (Luke  13).  Suppose  a  man  lays 
the  other  five  and  leaves  out  faith,  thejt  he  perishes,  for 


13 


it  is  written,  He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
— (Mark  i6).  Suppose  he  lays  the  other  five  and 
leaves  out  the  one  foundation  of  baptism  then  he 
perishes,  for  it  is  said,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the 
Spirit  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." — 
(John  3).  Suppose  he  lays  the  five  other  foundations 
and  leaves  out  the  belief  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
then  he  pe^'ishes,  for  it  is  written,  "And  their  word  will 
eat  as  doth  a  canker :  of  whom  is  Hymeneus  and 
Philetus  ;  who  concerning  the  truth  have  erred,  saying 
that  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  past  already ;  and 
overthrow  the  faith  of  some T — (2nd  Tim.  2,  17-18). 
And  because  Hymeneus  had  thus  made  ship-wreck  of 
faith  St.  Paul  delivered  him  over  to  Satan. — (istTim. 
I,  20).  Suppose  a  man  lays  the  other  five  foundations 
and  does  not  believe  in  an  eternal  judgment,  then  he 
perishes,  because  it  is  written  that  when  one's  faith  in 
this  article  grows  weak  then  his  feet  are  almost  gone 
and  his  steps  have  well  nigh  slipped,  (Ps.  73)  and 
a  part  of  that  faith,  without  which  no  man  can  please 
God,  nor  come  to  Him,  is  the  belief  in  a  judgment--- 
i.  e.,  that  God  is  a  "  Rewarder  of  them  that  diligently 
seek  Him."---(Heb.  11).  If  a  man  then  leaves  out 
any  one  of  these  five  foundations  he  perishes.  What 
then  is  the  peril  of  the  man  who  leaves  out  the  foun- 
dation of  the  laying  on  of  hands  ?  He  who  wilfully 
leaves  this  out,  without  doubt,  is  putting  his  soul  in 
infinite  peril.  For  who  is  it  that  calls  them  all  foun- 
dations ?    Who  is  it  that  has  put  them  all  on  a  level 


14 


as  the  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Chist  ?  Is  it  man 
or  God? 

In  conclusion,  then  because  Confirmation  is  the  only 
appointed  means  whereby  we  may  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  because  it  is  one  of  the  principles  of  the  oracles 
of  God,  because  it  is  one  of  the  principles  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  because  it  is  one  of  the  foundations  on 
which  personal  religion  is  to  rest,  it  is  something  that 
can  be  neglected  only  at  the  peril  of  the  soul,  and 
therefore  ye  may  perceive  the  great  necessity  of  this 
ordinance  where  it  may  be  had. 


NOTE. — It  has  been  pretended  by  some  that  the  Apostles  at  Samaria 
and  St.  Paul,  at  Ephesus,  laid  hands  on  the  converts  ;  first,  to  ordain  diem, 
or,  second,  to  convey  to  them  the  power  of  working  miracles.  But  who  can 
believe  that  St.  Peter  and  St.  John  ordained  both  7nen  and  women  (for  such 
were  the  converts  at  Samaria)  ?  And  who  can  believe  that  St.  Paul, who  re- 
quires for  the  very  lowest  officer  of  the  Church — the  deacon — that  his  faith 
and  hohness  must  first  be  proved, coxAdi  presently  ordain  men  that  were  so  ig- 
norant that  they  did  not  know  there  is  a  Holy  Ghost.  And  since  it  is  said 
expressly  in  both  cases  that  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  shall  dare  to 
say  that  they  did  not  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  Himself,  but  only  some  of  His 
gifts,  such  as  the  gift  of  tongues,  the  gift  of  healing  and  the  like?  More- 
over the  passage  in  Hebrews  declares  the  laying  on  of  hands  to  be  a  prin- 
ciple of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  as  necessary  for  every  man  and  woman 
as  faith,  repentance,  baptism,  and  the  others,  but  who  shall  say  that  ordi- 
nation or  the  power  of  miracles  is  necessary  for  every  one  ?  And  if  these 
persons  at  Samaria  and  Ephesus  were  not  confirmed,  but  only  ordained,  or 
provided  with  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  then  they  were  taught  by  the  Apostles 
to  leave  out  one  of  the  principles  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ  ;  but  who  can 
believe  this  ?  Scripture  is  very  plain — they  were  confirmed  that  they  might 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost  Himself  2ind.  then  "  They  received  the  Holy  Ghost." 


%         204    Z99M    v.l  372436 
Nos,l-16 

N.C.  Fleligion.s  P-a7iphle4;s— 

CALL  NUMBER 

VoL 

Date  (for  periodical)  \ 

i 

Copy  No.  I" 

N.C,     204    Z99M    v.l  37243 


""OS.  1-lS 


